Criminal
by Rainpath
Summary: Does it hurt when you fall from heaven, or does it just sting a bit?
1. Criminal

**Hey everyone, it's my first foray in to Teen Titans fan fiction since the 5th**** grade! Yayyyy!**

**A few things you should know: **

**1. I have no idea what the fuck I'm doing.**

**2. It's been a while since I watched the entire series in full.**

**3. I make a lot of references, especially to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.**

**4. Check out the songs I put in the beginnings of the chapters, because I most likely have better taste in music than you do.**

**5. I may update sporadically. This is because I get very bored and very distracted very easily.**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing.**

* * *

><p><em>Let me know the way<em>

_Before there's hell to pay_

_Give me room to lay the law and let my go_

_I've got to make a play_

_To make my lover stay_

_So what would an angel say, the devil wants to know._

-_Criminal_, Fiona Apple (_**Tidal**_, 1996)

There are some things that are just impossible to control, and to a control freak like Raven, that fact drove her mad.

Take prophecies, for instance. Damned things, the lot of them, their vague and ominous warnings written in dead languages she could barely make out, and most were worthless anyway. It was difficult to tell the difference between a prophesized apocalypse and a prophesized rise of a fast food chain.

But worthless or not, she had bookshelves full of scrolls and tomes that held recorded prophecies. One such scroll was laid out on the floor in front of her now, the words eluding her as the candlelight flickered and her eyes strained to read the thing. She reached a hand toward her herbal tea (1) and shook her head violently when the now-cold liquid touched her lips. Giving up on the ancient text for the moment, she carefully placed the yellowed paper in its wooden case with her hands, judging that even her powers weren't gentle enough to handle such an artifact. Grabbing the candle and the teacup, she made her way to the door of her room, blew out the candle, and continued into the hallway.

Lo and behold, a flash of a green house cat darted past her, followed closely by an angry cyborg, yelling something about not messing with his computers. Raven pressed herself against the wall as to avoid getting trampled, and glanced down the hallway after them. Outwardly, she rolled her eyes, but she knew that their antics don't bother her now nearly as much as they did when she had first joined the team.

When she entered the kitchen, she was mildly surprised to find Robin seated at the table, hunched over a mass of papers. She noticed Starfire singing out of tune as she rummaged through cupboards, and suddenly Robin doing his work out in kitchen made a lot more sense to her. She even caught him sneaking stares at her from time to time. He looked up when he saw her and gave a curt nod in greeting, while Starfire beamed that bright smile and hugged her enthusiastically.

"Happy morning, friend! It is much past the time that you normally wake in the morning, is it not?" The redhead released her and held her at arm's length.

The half-demon glanced at the digital clock on the stove. 10:03.

"Yeah, I was in my room reading for a while. I just came to refill this," she held up the teacup sheepishly.

"Of course! Let me clear a space for the kettle."

With Starfire setting about moving the pots and pans related to her latest experiment, Raven tore open a teabag, just when the other two Titans entered. Cyborg was still fuming, but Beast Boy followed him almost demurely, if it weren't for the slightly smug smile.

"This is the _last_ time I'm telling you, B.," Cyborg lectured him. "My computer system is highly advanced and really shouldn't be fucked with. It's not your average PC."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," the shapeshifter replied, bored. "But I really wanted to order something online for Elisa."

Elisa was Beast Boy's girlfriend of three months, the first one after Terra. She was a cute, curvy brunette with a hint of a Spanish accent. They had met at a local comic book store, both buying the next issue of _Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8 _(2). He had boldly asked her to a movie right then and there, and they immediately hit it off. Raven thought that although Elisa was nerdy and very shy, she was no doubt good for Beast Boy's healing. Terra's betrayal, death, and ultimate reappearance sans her memories had shattered his trust more than he let on, but Raven was an empath. Every time they were watching TV and a romantic scene came on, she could feel the sharp pang of hurt that he emitted. He did a good job at hiding, but she knew.

"You couldn't have used the computer in the common room?" Cyborg asked him exasperatedly, jolting Raven from her thoughts.

"Robin was using it!" Beast Boy protested.

The kettle whistled loudly, making everyone jump. Raven rushed to the stove to remove from the heat, burning herself slightly in the process. She faintly heard Robin communicator go off, and he quickly opened it.

"Shit," she cursed under her breath. She really needed to stop hanging around Kristen, the barista at her favorite café. Her highly evolved vocabulary was suffering.

"Guys," Robin interrupted Cyborg before he could continue the argument. "The lieutenant of the new Magic and Unusual Powers Unit at the police station wants to speak with us. Can we wrap this up?"

Any bad feelings in the group dissipated in seconds. Raven could almost _see_ the red-orange aura of annoyance fade from Cyborg and the yellow-green of stubborness slip from Beast Boy. She could definitely feel it. They might not always get along, but they were always on each other's side.

"So glad you all could make it on such short notice," the older man said over his shoulder as he led the teenagers through the police station. "This new phenomenon is…Worrying." The lieutenant attempted to smile, but it came out as an unnerving grin.

They came to a steel door at the end of the long hallway, and the man punched in a code. "We figured that since you have experience with magic, you could guide our new unit in making us effective to the public."

"Certainly," Robin said politely.

"As you can imagine, this is top secret information. If you would take the utmost care not to leak anything to the press..." The man trailed off, knowing they got his point.

"You don't have to worry, sir," Robin assured him. The lieutenant nodded, satisfied.

"You all should probably make yourselves ready. It's quite a disturbing sight."

With that warning, the lieutenant pushed his shoulder against the heavy door and it creaked open.

The Titans gasped.

* * *

><p>(1). Herbal tea is disgusting and isn't real tea. No tea leaves, not real tea.<p>

(2) Told you.


	2. Buried Alive

**READ THIS: **I do not belong to an organized religion. I've called myself Neo-Pagan/Wiccan on many an occasion. I do not view organized religion as "sacred", and this story is going to borrow elements of many different religions and beliefs as long as they fit with my story. For those of you who do belong to an organized religion, yes, I'm going to fuck with your beliefs. This isn't a personal attack on you, It's merely the way this story is going.

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing.**

_I speak in verses, prophecies, and curses_

_This storm of thorns is growing_

_There's no end in sight_

_Chaos claws my jaw_

_And incites a mental riot_

_I'm in the mouth of madness_

_With a tongue of poetry_

_I ate the spine of Atlas_

_Now the world is crushing me_

_-Buried Alive, _Otep (_**House of Secrets**_, 2004)

The room was concrete, painted a pale blue-grey with an old mattress in one corner covered by a red and brown afghan and a metal lamp next to it. In the opposite corner of the tiny room, a blonde-haired figure clothed in pure white cradled its arms in the fetal position, its face covered by the robes. The body was vaguely male-the definition in the arms contrasted with the small, almost feminine stature. The bottom of the robe was coated with mud and grass stains, and all in all the figure looked defeated. What was most disturbing, however, was his back. Deep gashes ran from his shoulder blades to his mid-back, bright red blood seeping from the bandages. Tattered white feathers clung desperately to the strange exposed bone that jutted from the from his shoulders, many of them stained red. When the Titans entered, the figure flinched violently, then raised his head slightly to look at them through clear blue eyes. He was obviously very frightened, but he managed a small, pained smile.

"We tried to make him as comfortable as possible," the lieutenant said. "But without access to proper medical care for fear that we would panic the city, there's not much we can do."

"Excuse me," he apologized softly, and tried to stand, but his knees buckled underneath him.

"Do not get up," Starfire implored, moving to him. She knelt down next to him and placed a gentle hand on his back, finding a place where the blood didn't reach. "What is your name?"

"Gabriel," he replied, smiling genuinely at her. "You have a beautiful heart," he whispered. "So full of love and gentleness."

Starfire blushed, and Raven could feel Robin tense slightly beside her. She glanced at him quickly, and he relaxed, a little embarrassed.

"Thank you," Starfire replied.

The lieutenant cleared his throat and said good bye to the group, and that he hoped the Titans would help the new unit become revolutionaries in their field. The door slammed shut behind him.

"May I ask who-or what-did this to you?" The alien princess asked when he had gone.

Gabriel looked around the red haired alien to stare straight at Raven. "Demons," he answered.

Raven took a step back, but didn't let any emotion show outwardly. She had been well-trained, and honestly-demons attacking what looked like an angel wasn't that shocking. The only shocking thing was that this one survived. Granted, he was badly beaten, but he was still alive-or in that semi-alive state that supernatural beings gained when they walked the Earth.

"Demons?" Starfire asked, her brow crinkling in thought. "Well, that's ridiculous. My friend is-"

"Half-demon, I know." He interrupted. He winked, which unnerved Raven a bit instead of comforting her, which she supposed was its purpose. "I could sense it, even before you had walked in."

He shook his head. "Nevertheless, demons did it. They are increasing in number, and that is unbalancing the scales-good and evil have to exist together, but while it's fine for good to outweigh evil in most respects, it could be damaging if evil outweighs good."

"The scales were an old theory that most practitioners of magic abandoned long ago," Raven said, crossing her arms at her chest.

Gabriel tried to wave his hand in a "pish-posh" gesture, but the pain in his shoulder prevented him. "It's a solid base for practicing magic." His voice left no room for argument. Raven sighed.

"I need your help," Gabriel pled.

"Of course!" Starfire immediately leapt at the chance.

Beast Boy and Cyborg looked to Robin before voicing their own opinions. Robin was getting jealous of Gabriel, what with his ability to gain Starfire's worry and attention so easily, but he couldn't let that overrule his sense of duty.

"What do you want us to do?" Cyborg asked him, taking over Robin's designated reply before the Boy Wonder could say something he'd regret.

"A storm is coming. Bigger than anything this world has ever seen, anything it's ever survived before. I'm just the first of many angels to leave his place and attempt to fight. The tides are turning, and we can't let the darkness win."

I think he just used every American cliché he could think of, Raven thought to herself. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she received a sharp glare from the angel. Something bothered her about this guy, but she chalked it up to her demonic heritage's natural distaste for angels.

"That still doesn't tell us exactly what our part in this is," Beast Boy chimed in, ever the instigator. Gabriel's blue eyes flashed.

"We need to beat back the demons. I have many friends who can help, but our power weakens when we come to Earth. Demons, however, only get stronger. The only ones who can help us are the humans who live here." He glanced at Starfire. "And the alien visitors."

"How did you know-" Starfire began, but was cut off.

"Please tell me you'll assist us in our cause," The words were directed at Robin, but Gabriel kept his focus on Starfire.

"We will," Robin agreed grudgingly.

"Thank you," Gabriel let his head fall back into the crook of his arm. "Is there any chance…" he said, turning his neck to look at them again. "That you all could get me out of here?"

\\\

Two hours later, the five Titans sat around their kitchen table, speaking about their new guest, who had retired to the spare room.

"If there's really such a battle brewing, we want to be ready," Cyborg offered, placing a big hand on the table.

"Very true," Robin nodded. "But there's only so much we can do in a cosmic war."

"We have defeated demons before!" Starfire exclaimed, lifting her head from its perch on her palm.

"One demon, Star. One," Beast Boy reminded her, sparing Raven a look of what seemed to her like sympathy. The mentions of their battle with Trigon didn't bother her, she had told herself time and time again. Not at all. He was just another villian they had defeated.

A villian they wouldn't have had to face if it weren't for her, another voice in her head sneered.

And now I'm arguing with myself, she thought. Great. Isn't that one of the ways you can tell if you've gone mad?

"An especially powerful one, though," Raven said, disrupting herself from her thoughts. "I've read a lot about a major battles between 'the above and below'. A lot of seers have written about it."

The violet-haired girl inwardly rolled her eyes. Here we go again, she thought. Back to the prophecies.

"Isn't there something in the Bible about this? Raven, could you check?" Robin asked.

"Yeah," she said mockingly. "The Bible will totally have the answer to this. Do you know how many cultures and religions have the same stories about 'agents of the Gods'-like angels-and evil beings? Besides, I don't own a Bible."

She could tell the others were shocked, but they hid it well and continued their discussion about the latest threat to the world they were facing. Raven shifted uncomfortably in her chair, tucking her legs underneath her body. While they bantered back and forth about theories and game plans, they didn't notice the black cat-like creature creeping silently around the kitchen, taking note of each and every one of them. When the inevitable alarm rang loudly about the Tower, everyone rose from their seats and waited for Robin to give the order. The creature melted into the shadows and was gone, without anyone even knowing it was there.


	3. God Help Me

**Hey kids! After way too much partying, moving to New York City, more partying, and starting college, I'm finally back. Enjoy!**

_Am I guilty or am I just waiting around_

_For the tide to come in so the truth can come out_

_And if I had a dollar for every time_

_I repented the sin and commit the same crime _

_I'd be sitting on top of the world today_

-Emilie Autumn, "God Help Me" (_**Opheliac**_, 2006)

_/_

"It's not even like a big fucking deal, you know? But I get crushed with this huge-ass assignment due next Tuesday, even when I have to work this whole fucking weekend. I need someone to cover for me, but everyone seems to have plans," Kristen complained as she fixed Raven's tea. "Plus, my professor is totally waiting for me to screw up again so she can fail me for the semester."

"I think you're imagining things," Raven told the barista. She was a tall, thin girl with a platinum blonde pixie haircut, wearing a long-sleeved grey sweater, jeans, and a blue apron. Raven's chatterbox friend spared her a roll of her grey eyes.

"I know," she sighed. "I'm just frustrated. Here, I'm gonna take my break now. Wanna stick around?"

The Titan checked the time on her communicator. "For a little bit, sure."

"Dave! Takin' my break!" The girl called to the back of the little café. A few of the customers looked up, but to most this was a regular occurrence. It was a trendy little hole-in-the-wall place, wedged between a movie theatre and a Laundromat. The décor was complete with black and white photographs on the walls and matching chairs and light fixtures. Raven liked it. A lot of the customers were regulars, so that meant less people to deal with. She dressed in civilian clothes when she went here, mostly because she didn't want to draw too much attention to herself. Today she wore dark jeans, a white T-shirt and a dark blue sweatshirt.

Kristen was beginning to become a good friend, even if it was she who did most of the talking during their conversations. She fixed herself a cup of coffee-strong, black. Raven grimaced. While she could take her tea without any frills, drinking coffee without both cream and sugar was something she couldn't stand.

The two young women slipped into a nearby booth, and Kristen was chatting excitedly again. The sorceress mentally ran through her spell books again. Somehow, they were going to have to keep Heaven and Hell from warring with each other on Earth. Making the tiny, populated planet a battleground wouldn't do so well for the citizens of this world. Raven leaned her chin on her palm, staring past her friend, who eventually noticed.

"Alright, what's eating you?" She asked, tapping the table to get Raven's attention. Her rainbow pride bracelet clanged noisily, which startled Raven out of her thoughts.

"Sorry," the violet-haired girl said, shaking her head. Then she looked determined. "Does Veronica know any seeing spells?" She asked. She knew Kristen's girlfriend had been practicing witchcraft since she was small.

Kristen rolled her eyes. She wasn't much of a fan of witchcraft, but she supported her girlfriend anyway. "I have no idea. Want me to ask her?"

"Please," Raven said. "I've tried several, but none of them are powerful enough to give me access to the powers I need."

Kristen glanced at her cell phone. "I'll talk to her tonight. Come by tomorrow. My break's almost over," she smiled apologetically.

"Thanks, Kristen," Raven gathered her black jacket and waved goodbye to Dave, who was just coming out of the kitchen to inform Kristen that her break was over.

The teen was shocked by the icy winds that assaulted her as soon as she stepped outside. With her hair blowing in all different directions, Raven struggled to button up her jacket and shoved her hands into the pockets. California usually did not get this cold, but lately they had been getting East Coast November temperatures. Finding a secluded area in an alleyway, she set off into flight towards the tower.

/

Gabriel was sitting at the kitchen table, regaling Starfire with tales of the epic battles he had fought in when Raven walked in. She quietly made her tea and grabbed an apple, joining Beast Boy and Cyborg on the sofa. Robin was nowhere to be found.

Folding her legs underneath her, she glanced over the papers her two teammates were going through. They were printouts of information the Justice League had sent over to them, but Raven could tell they were mostly useless. The League's dealings in magic were sparse.

"Look at this," Cyborg said, pulling out one piece of paper with a traditional pentacle on it. Underneath the pentacle were ancient characters, Sumerian, from what Raven could guess. What was interesting was that within the diagram was an image of an angel, its wings spread so that it touched the edge of the circle. The angel's arm's were spread wide in an inviting gesture, and at his feet lay the body of a horned demon.

"Is that supposed to be the devil?" Beast Boy asked, pointing to the body.

"No. I think it's supposed to be the Horned God in the Pagan religions," Raven said, peering at the printout. "The pentacle is a witch symbol. Witches usually worship three stages of the Goddess-Maiden, Mother, and Crone-but the Horned God is also important in some spells."

"And the Horned God isn't necessarily evil," Cyborg added. "At least, not evil in the Heaven/Hell sense."

Raven nodded. "But why would a Pagan symbol feature an Abrahamic figure defeating a main deity in that religion?" She mused. "I can try to translate the Sumerian, but I don't know how much it'll tell us."

Her cybernetic friend handed her the paper. "See what you can get out of it. How're the seeing spells you were working on going?"

"I'm enlisting help from an experienced witch. None of the ones I was taught reach the powers I need. I think she might have some clue."

Beast Boy frowned. "I thought we weren't supposed to tell anyone."

"What aren't we supposed to tell anyone?" Robin's voice sounded from behind them.

The three turned to face him. "About Gabriel," the shape shifter told him.

"I need a witch's help to conjure a successful seeing spell. I'm not connected to Earth enough to do it on my own," Raven explained.

Robin's face was lined with worry. "I don't want to cause panic in the city. Find a way to do it on your own, or have one of us help you." With that, he turned away from them and walked back into the kitchen, eyeing Gabriel with suspicion.

Raven sighed and locked eyes with Beast Boy. "He is a massive pain in the ass."


End file.
